Conventional showerheads are at risk of being removed and stolen from hotels and other public places. Several attempts have been made to address this problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,350 (Nelson) discloses a tamper-resistant flow control attachment for a shower arm. One end of the attachment is threadedly engaged with the shower arm and the other end is threadedly engaged with the showerhead. During installation of the shower arm and showerhead, the attachment is inserted between the shower arm and the showerhead. The attachment comprises a two-piece assembly--a housing and a shell. The attachment includes a first setscrew to prevent rotation of the housing relative to the shower arm and a second setscrew, which limits any axial movement of the shell. The housing and the shell each encase the showerhead volumetric flow control device to limit the water flow through the showerhead to a predetermined level. However, the attachment complicates showerhead assembly and requires the disassembly of existing showerheads in order to insert the attachment into the line. Also, the attachment can be used only with specific showerhead configurations, or requires the modification of the shower arms or showerheads.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,429 (Moen) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,116 (Moen) disclose variations of tamper-proof showerhead assemblies. The assemblies are mounted between the swivel ball and the shower body member, a sleeve encasing the shower body member. The one-piece body, one-piece sleeve, and shower handle are secured together in such a manner that no part of the assembly can be removed without removing the entire showerhead from its supporting conduit. However, the connector portion of the swivel ball and the shower arm are not encased by the assembly, enabling direct access to the connector and removal of the showerhead assembly.
In addition, there are other prior art references in a similar but non-related application directed at preventing the removal of conventional hoses--see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,014 (Erickson), U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,280 (Johnson), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,858 (Parker). These devices generally surround the connector between the faucet and the hose and include a distinct lock to prevent access to the connector.
What is needed is a showerhead security device specifically designed for showerheads that covers the connector between the shower arm and the showerhead preventing direct access thereto, that is compatible with essentially all conventional showerhead designs, that is a deterrent to any unauthorized removal thereof, that indicates when any unauthorized access has been attempted, and that has component parts that are of a relatively simple design and easy to make from conventional materials.
What is needed is a showerhead security device for showerheads that enables removal with the use of a special tool, that is strong enough to resist gripping by conventional pliers, that is easy to install not requiring disassembly to the shower arm from the showerhead in existing units, that is capable of snap closure assembly, and that the only method of access to the showerhead connector is by mutilation of the device.